Fox and the…Hounds?

So the people at Fox & Friends aren’t feeling so Fox-&-Friendly, apparently, toward The New York Times. On June 28, the Times published an article, “Fox News Finds Its Rivals Closing In,” written by media reporter Jacques Steinberg and edited by TV editor Steven Reddicliffe, that discussed “ominous trends” in the network’s viewership:

The most dominant cable news channel for nearly a decade and a political force in its own right, Fox has seen its once formidable advantage over CNN erode in this presidential election year, as both CNN and MSNBC have added viewers at far more dramatic rates.

The article was based, incidentally, on Nielsen ratings, and a Fox spokesperson, the piece notes, “refused several requests this week for comment about the channel’s ratings and strategy. “

And here are photos of Reddicliffe and Steinberg, respectively:

So. Why do we bring this all up, you may ask? Because of this, below (h/t: Media Matters), F&F’s super-mature and journalistically rigorous response to what they’re calling the Times’s “hit piece.” Submitted without further comment, except to note (in surprise) that neither Doocy nor Kilmeade mentions the word “Photoshop” in his tirade, and then to sigh (in frustration): Guys. Ugh. Seriously?

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Megan Garber is an assistant editor at the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University. She was formerly a CJR staff writer.

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